“I don’t think he understands,” the captain said. “Try again.”
“Ukuba asizishiyi , uya kufa.” (If you don’t leave, you will die.) Mirsux told them, but they just looked at him, smiling stupidly.
Ariella turned to Delvin, “Captain, what is he saying now?”
“It sounds like something he said before,” Delvin replied. “Tell him your name again.”
She stepped closer to him and placed her hand on her chest, saying, “I am Ariella Vega.” Then, pointing to Delvin she said, “He is Captain McTaggart.”
After following her movements, Mirsux’s gaze came to rest on her breasts, causing the spark earlier ignited to turn into a small ball of energy. They settled there a minute and then the spark, which ignited earlier turned into a small ball of energy. He raised his eyes to hers and saw her looking at him. Their eyes locked a moment and he could no longer breathe. He had to draw from his inner strength to pull himself away from her.
The alien looked from one to the other and surmised that she was conveying their designations. Ariella repeated the same three times. He watched her full lips move and thought how beautiful she was. She was a splendid specimen, indeed. The way her hips curved, then tapered to accentuate her long legs. Yes, he thought, quite splendid. However, he fought to regain his composure knowing they could not remain.
“Ariella,” she indicated herself and then pointed to Delvin. “Captain.”
His mind chronicled the designations as he continued to process their language.
* * * *
Ariella wasn’t sure the alien understood them though he never took his eyes away from them. Her eyes had locked with his for a few moments. In that space, the world had whirled around her, almost shutting everything else out. She had held her breath and only let it out when he broke the spell.
She and Captain McTaggart started moving towards the shuttle. Her heart beat at an unsteady pace, which distracted her. She had to mentally push past the feeling to concentrate on the business at hand.
They needed to access what they could salvage to make some sort of radio or to fix the communication device. The alien followed. They had no clue about the language he spoke. When she addressed him, he just stared at her with those golden almond-shaped eyes. His face remained expressionless, almost like a mechanical man. She also couldn’t read his eyes, but they seemed to glimmer at times while watching her.
“He’s following us,” Delvin said softly.
“I know, Sir. Maybe he wants to help,” she replied hopefully.
The alien’s stare was both flattering and uncomfortable. Her eyes kept straying to him and she could not fathom why. She felt his presence and it slightly irked her. It was more than his physique, which was remarkable. His presence was all encompassing, and that alone caused unease.
He strode over to where they stood beside the wreckage. He picked up a piece of metal, turned it over in his hand, and tossed it back on the ground. He had charisma; she gave him that. There was something mesmerizing about the alien.
“What does that mean?” The captain asked. “Does it mean he cannot help us repair it?”
“I don’t know, Captain. He seems to be observing not only the shuttle, but us as well.”
“He is attracted to you, you are the one he’s been observing.” Delvin winked, suppressing a chuckle.
Ariella scoffed, but the protest was feigned. “I see you have a sense of humor, Captain,” she smiled. It was rare for him to joke and it was always refreshing when he did, especially now.
“But Sir, he may be attracted to you,” she teased.
Delvin’s face flushed. Ariella suppressed a giggle. She turned, trying to hide her amusement. He was about to respond but only shook his head.
“Not to worry, Sir. Usually, humans aren’t very appealing to many alien species. At least, that’s what I’ve noticed during our travels. Do you recall the inhabitants of Zakyit?” She giggled. “They wouldn’t even allow us off the ship. Our appearance was an insult to their people.”
“Humph. Had you seen them, they would’ve been the insult.” He shivered. “Damn hideous creatures with their flailing tentacles and watery babble.”
“Captain, that is no way to speak of one of your most lucrative clients.” Ariella returned his smile and offered a wink of her own.
“Well,” he cleared his throat. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
“Wait, do you hear that?”
Delvin cocked his head to one side, listening. “No, I don’t hear anything.”
She looked around and saw they were alone. “It seems our friend has deserted us, Captain.”
“Good, now we can concentrate on salvaging the shuttle without him hovering like a mother hen.”
She smiled. They worked together in silence searching for components they could salvage to assemble some sort of communicator. The shuttle’s communication device seemed useless, and their cargo was scattered.
“What if we try to fix our Rem-Coms?” she asked, tapping the device on her wrist. “If we could generate or locate a power source and tap into the right frequency, we could get them working.”
“I thought much the same, but there seems to be a frequency issue here,” Delvin raised his face to the setting light source. “It’s uncanny isn’t it?”
“What is?” she asked.
“Doesn’t something about this place remind you of earth? Except for that creature and the plants, I would never believe we were on another planet.” He continued to gaze up at the darkening sky. “Sun or moon, which is it?”
“I think it’s the sun, but I can’t be certain. It radiates no heat, only light.”
“I agree. I think it’s a sun, even if it’s not the sun,” he said.
“Sir, I have an idea.”
“I’m listening.”
“I think we should concentrate on getting the devices powered up, rather than concentrate on the frequency issue. If there is no power, the signal will be useless anyway.”
“Agreed. Let me take a look at yours.” She unclasped her Rem-Com device and handed it to him. “See if you can find that mini tool kit somewhere, I’ll try to open these.”
She started rummaging through the rubble for the kit and found nothing. As she continued to search, a loud thudding sound startled her. She turned to see not one, but three of the purple creatures running towards them.
“CAPTAIN!” she shouted, running in his direction. She pointed and then frantically sifted through the piles for a weapon. They could not stand against one of the feral creatures, let alone three.
“We need to take cover!” Delvin yelled.
She had already started running away from the shuttle. She heard the captain’s calls from behind her, but he refused to turn back or slow down. After taking cover near a thick tree, she chanced a look behind her.
“Captain,” she gasped, not seeing him in the distance.
As she was about to turn, something grabbed her, pulling her under some bushes. She fought against the tight grasp of her captor, kicking and punching. When she tried to scream, a hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled until a tickle of electrifying heat held her in place. It was not painful, not as she thought such a sensation would be. It was warm, comforting, and tingled through her entire body.
“Yima!” (Be still!) It was the voice of the alien. His tone was stern but also soothing.
She maneuvered to face him. He had one finger over his pursed lips. She remained fully focused on him until she heard the rustle of dry leaves too close to their hiding place. Within moments, she saw clawed feet move past. He squeezed her hand and jerked her to her feet. She nearly shrieked, as they began running in the opposite direction of the creatures. She almost collided with the alien when he abruptly stopped. A building she had not seen before stood in front of them.
“Khawuleza!” (Hurry!) She sensed an urgency in his voice but, she could not comprehend the language.
“Where are you taking me?” She pulled her hand
from his grasp. “Where’s my captain?”
“Yiza ngoku , baya kuza emva,” (Come now, they are coming back) he replied. “Thina ekhuselekileyo ngaphakathi.” (We are safe inside.) He was pointing to the building.
“What? He’s inside? Are you sure he’s in there?”
“Ukuba awunalo ukuza kum , baya kudla.”(If you do not come with me, they will eat you.)
“He’s eating?” she asked, mimicking the motions he made, bringing a hand to her mouth. “Inside?” She pointed to the building.
He nodded and she breathed a sigh of relief. He guided her through a heavily guarded gate. She was in awe at the magnificence of the structure and the guards posted within. As he passed, the guards bowed.
He led her down a long corridor to a large set of double doors. Ariella gazed up, marveling at the intricate etchings on the door. They stood nearly twenty feet high and half as wide. When she extended her hand to trace the deep grooves in the doors, they opened automatically.
The spacious room beyond was elaborately decorated. On a platform, there were two regal high-backed chairs, intricately carved from dark wood. An alien couple stood by an ornate glass window overlooking a vast expanse of land. The couple turned and regarded Mirsux and Ariella.
The female was wearing a long flowing golden gown that clung to her curves. She was very tall, almost six feet… maybe more. Her hair was long and shimmering, raven in color, falling well below her waist. Ariella had to admit that the woman’s delicate oval shaped face was exquisite. Ariella’s eyes darted to the male, who was taller and equally striking. His angular face reminded her of a warrior. He wore a crimson and black robe, which swept the floor. He reached for the female’s hand and led her to a seat. That’s when it dawned on Ariella that they must be some type of royalty on this planet.
Her companion walked up and sat at the feet of the female. The woman looked down at him and they began to speak. Ariella listened intently, trying to makes sense of the words and their expressions. Who was this alien and what was he saying? She wanted the alien to take her to see her captain. They needed to fix the communication system and the shuttle.
As their conversation continued, Ariella scrutinized her surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished. In one corner there appeared to be a large flat transparent screen, much like a glass panel. She wasn’t sure if it was some sort of viewer or monitor. It seemed to hover in the air without any obvious power source or controls.
The female stood, capturing her attention, moving gracefully to the screen and spoke. Immediately a view of the surrounding grounds appeared. The scene changed several times until it rested on a group of the creatures that attacked them earlier. They were standing around a large steaming cauldron. She couldn’t see a fire, but the liquid inside was bubbling. The view shifted, resting on what appeared to be a man tied to a post.
“No,” she whimpered, approaching the screen. Ariella forced back her emotion, gazing up at the image.
Captain McTaggart was tied to the post. Two of the creatures walked towards him, uprooted the post, and placed it near the boiling cauldron.
“No!” she screamed, rushing forward. When she reached where the screen hovered, it went blank. The female turned to face her and the young male, who had rescued her, stepped between them.
“Musa ukusondela,” he said, putting out his hand to stop Ariella. (Do not approach.)
“What have you done to him, you bastards!” She shrieked.
“Siza kumsindisa,” he replied. (We are going to save him.)
“No!” she screamed. “Let him go, what has he done to you?”
“Ba yinyama - ababe!” He continued, though she could not understand. (They are flesh-eaters!)
Ariella began to move towards the door, but he blocked her path. “Baya kudla nawe.” (They will eat you too.)
“Get out of my way! I have to save him. He has a family.” She tried to push past him but Mirsux did not budge.
The female approached where they stood, presenting a small triangular device. It looked like glass, but as Ariella studied it, she could see it was a computer of some sort. The woman held it out to him and he smiled.
When he spoke into the device, a voice responded in Spanish. He spoke several times more with a similar outcome. The languages sounded familiar to earth dialects. She realized it was a translator.
“Hello,” he said and she stared at him. Ariella was stunned. She could communicate with him, with all of them.
“I will save your friend,” the alien said.
“He—he is my commander, captain of the ship. Did you take him?” She listened as the translator communicated her words.
“No,” he replied. “The Migrels took him. They are flesh-eaters.”
Ariella’s mouth dropped and her heartbeat quickened.
“How do we save him?” Her voice shook.
“You are Ariella,” he said. “I… Mirsux. She,” he pointed to the queen. “My parent, Queen Heffun.”
“You are a prince?”
He nodded, and motioned towards his father saying, “King Volnomy.”
Ariella sighed. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or dismayed that he was a prince. What now? She wondered. He said he would save Delvin, but at what price?
She knew it didn’t matter. She would pay all they asked to rescue Delvin. She looked up at the alien, whose name she now knew to be Mirsux. “What will you ask of me to save the captain?”
Mirsux’s brow knitted.
“In payment,” she explained.
“Your hair,” the Queen said. When Ariella looked at her confused, she expounded. “A lock of your hair.”
“A lock of my hair? That’s all?” Ariella asked.
“It is enough,” the Queen confirmed.
“O-okay! Than—thank you,” she agreed, relieved that nothing more would be required.
The queen motioned to her son and he escorted Ariella from the chamber. Guiding her down a different passage, they soon exited the structure. Looking back, Ariella noticed it was just a large square building made up of metal and glass. There was nothing special about it at first glance, but as she looked closer, as she walked away the queen’s image reflected everywhere on the glass. The queen was speaking, and all of a sudden, alien beings started gathering. She had no clue what was being said, but Mirsux didn’t stop to listen. He pulled her along with him, away from the gathering.
* * * *
Mirsux reached down, taking her hand. He sucked in an immediate breath, feeling the pulse of energy her touch elicited. It was the same as before, only more powerful. He regarded her closely, fighting the urges welling within him. This inner energy of his people had been dormant. It had only awakened with Ariella’s arrival. That thought plagued and confused him as they continued to trek towards the captain. This sensation was significant and one he could not ignore.
She has awakened the Z’raschein, he thought, the connecting energy, which flows between beings. His signature energy, his Z’rascheus threatened to overwhelm him as the ball of flame inside his abdomen raged into a burning furnace. She is of another world. How is it possible?
His parents had told him that when he met his princess, he would know her by the flow of energy between them, by the presence of the Z’raschein. But how could that be so? Ariella was not of Nabalar, nor any species his people were connected with. She was a human. Yet, the longer she remained on their planet, the stronger the connection became.
Through the Z’raschein was the only way bonds were made for the Nabalarians. The connection had to be complete to produce offspring during the fertility cycle. All knew the Nabalarians royal clan was dying. His people looked to him now; he was the last prince conceived on Nabalar. Only through him, the kingdom would be saved by the reproduction of offspring.
She must be special, he concluded after some thought. He had to awaken her the way she had awakened him. Her agreement to give them her hair was just the beginning. Mirsux’s blood ran fast in his veins, o
pening up an energy field.
She stopped and looked at him. He could see the pulse at her neck quicken. He knew she felt this energy as well. That was good. The more he offered his touch, the more she would respond. She desired him, the pulse of her heart told of it. He grinned and then quickened their pace.
Chapter 3
They travelled some distance away from the crash site. The place reminded Ariella of a jungle back on earth. Mirsux told her that this was the wasteland where the creatures lived. The group she saw on the monitor was there. They were in a clearing, just at the jungle’s edge. There was what appeared to be a cave or cavern beyond. Perhaps it was a den of sorts.
Delvin was bound and hovering over the boiling cauldron while the group stood around watching, or perhaps waiting for the right moment. His screams were unending as the steam rose from the cauldron.
As if sensing their presence, one of the creatures turned and made a rumbling sound. The rest looked in their direction, before one broke away and came forward.
Mirsux pulled her down to crouch behind one of the glass rose plants, and Ariella began to panic. Those same plants had shifted color when she and Delvin had passed them before. That color shift alerted the Migrels to their presence. But now, it was not so. At that, she calmed, not having the time to ponder an answer. They needed to free the captain, and to do so quickly.
Mirsux pulled a twig-sized pin from his waistband. He tapped the fine tip, and it elongated into a sword. Ariella fell back, stifling a gasp. She could only nod when he placed a finger to his pursed lips.
Four of the creatures stalked towards them. Mirsux leaped in the air and pivoted as soon as the first creature was near. The Migrel lunged at him, swiping out with a massive claw. Mirsux dove to the side in a roll, coming up with a swipe of his blade. The creature roared, his ear flying free from his head. Ariella gagged as a midnight-black substance erupted from the wound.
The Migrel shrieked, lunging forward again. Mirsux twirled and brought his sword straight down. The lethal weapon lodged in the Migrel’s head. The creature’s eyes flared and then went blank as it fell back with a loud thud. Mirsux dislodged his sword, whipping around to face the second and third creatures. The fourth was coming straight at Ariella. Her mouth dropped as she frantically searched for a weapon. She had extensive martial arts training, but she doubted it would be of much use against these creatures.
Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1) Page 3